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Health Controversy: Is Seeing a Chiropractor ... Risky?

There are people who swear by chiropractic treatment and others who ... don't. To each her own? Yes, but a new review of research suggests that going to a see a chiropractor could be riskier than you think. Here's why.

Seeing a chiropractor is harmless, right? Think again, say University of Exeter researchers, who say that many of the past randomized trials conducted on chiropractic treatments over the years may not have adequately reported side effects. From Jezebel: "Not only is this wildly unethical, but it paints a falsely rosy picture of how safe the treatments are. Edzard Ernst, the professor of complementary medicine who led this review of the trials, says that despite the fact that many of the trials showed there weren't any dangers associated with treatment, hundreds of case studies say otherwise. He said, 'About 50% of patients seeing a chiropractor have adverse effects, which is staggering.'"

I know people who swear that their lives have been changed by chiropractic treatment, but I've also heard from others who have experienced increased pain from chiropractic manipulations (I'm a chiropractic virgin, myself--never gone). In short, it's not right for every body, and people should know there are (possible) risks involved.

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? What was your experience like? I'd love to hear!